Lets be honest.
I'm a scatterbrained, adhd mom of three (and the pug). I'm lucky if I have matching shoes on and remember deodorant, so getting dinner on the table at a decent hour is one of my biggest struggles. It would easily be 7:30 or 8PM during the summer before I glanced at a clock and thought OH CRAP it's almost kid bedtime. Late dinner leads to kids up late and cranky the next morning, and much less "adult time" where we can watch slashers or focus on something without being asked 100 questions every 5 minutes.
Last year one of my best friends did 16 freezer meals before she had her fourth baby so her husband would be able to handle dinner for the first two weeks postpartum. I thought that was so smart and did the same thing when I was close to my due date with Madeline. Other than a ruined Instant Pot it was the best decision ever and I've started doing about 75% of our meals this way!
There are TONS of freezer meal ideas on pinterest. I try to look for healthy options that don't break the bank and are varied in style. The latest one was actually structured to work with Beachbody's 21 day fix program and because I had most of the chicken and beef already at home from Zaycon Fresh I only spent $145 - ONE HUNDRED FORTY FIVE Y'ALL - on three weeks of dinners. They're usually easy, affordable, easy to modify for special considerations, often come with a shopping list AND I can do the prep in 1-2 days while babywearing. Huge win for me. Now we have dinner at a more respectable hour and my kids aren't living off PB&J and chicken nuggets.
Here's a few of my favorite meal prep links:
- https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/
- http://myactiveroots.com/blog/2016/5/25/20-slow-cooker-recipes
- http://newleafwellness.biz/2017/06/16/the-ultimate-21-day-fix-slow-cooker-freezer-meal-plan/?ref=6
And here's my pin board of all things food: https://www.pinterest.com/candicemacphoto/foodie/
If you have a traditional slow cooker, just toss the next day's dinner in the fridge at night and it should be thawed enough in the morning to go into the crock pot. If you're an Instant Pot fan, you can usually make anything in 30 minutes or less.
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